Lock pin for curlers



July 24, 1962 M. R. STOLTZ LOCK PIN FOR CURLERS Filed Sept. 2, 1958 INVENTOR. Mm; R 570A. 72

A T TOP/V15 Y United States Patent Ofliee fi i fifid Patented July 24, 1962 Filed Sept. 2, 1958, Ser. No. 758,338 4 Claims. (CL 1324il) This invention relates to a lock pin for curlers of foraminous construction, the same holding in place a tress of hair wound on a curler.

An object of the present invention is to provide a lock pin that greatly facilitates a curl-locking operation. Whereas prior locking devices usually comprised end-applied clips of the nature of bobby pins, the present lock pin obviates the need for initially opening the pins, as is the case with bobby pins, and is formed so that the same may be applied with a quick stabbing or jabbing motion to penetrate the tress-Wound curler in an easy and facile manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lock pin that is resilient to readily contract as the same is passed transversely through the apertures in the structure of a tress-wound curler and as readily re-expand to frictional gripping condition with the structure of the curler that holds the pin in place and yet enables easy withdrawal of the pin with little or no possibility of snagging on the hair around the curler.

The invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description. However, the drawing merely shows and the following description merely describes, preferred embodiments of the present invention, which are given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

FIG. 1 is an end view of a tress-wound curler with a preferred form of lock pin in place thereon FIG. 2 is an enlarged view, partly in section, of the pin shown in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 are fragmentary views of different forms of pin ends.

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of another modification of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a similar view of still another modification.

Referring particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown an end View of a hair curler 111 on which is wound a curl or tress of hair 11 in a manner to bring the tress-wound curler closely against the head 12. Heretofore, it has been the practice to provide the curler with a hinged hair clip or the like, or to use a bobby pin or similar side or end-applied device in order to hold the hair-wound curler in place against the head 12. Clip-provided hair curlers are being discarded for several reasons, among which are their high cost and the fact that the clips tended to form a crease in the curled tress of hair. The latter is also a fault of bobby pins. Moreover, such pins frequently snagged in the hair and prevented ready removal. The present lock pin 15 is applied to the tresswound curler with a one-handed stabbing or jabbing movement that is quick and effective, whereas bobby pins, for instance, first had to be opened-a feat frequently diflicult with one hand, while the other hand was holding the curled tress in place.

It will be understood that the curler 10, per se, forms no part of this invention. It is only essential that the same be made to have a multiplicity of perforations so that a pin 15 will penetrate the structure of the curler Without effort and be retained therein. One for-m of curler now available for the present purpose comprises an openwound helical wire covered by or wrapped in a loosely Woven sheath of filament-like threads with bobbinet lace or netting as an example. Since the interstices of this lace or net sheath are quite large and capable of being spread or opened by an object penetrating the same, the present locking pin may readily pass transversely therethrough and will also pass through a tress or curl of hair wound on the curler, the convexly bowed portion being effective to retain the pin in the curler.

The present locking pin 15 comprises, generally, a resilient blade 16 and a handle 17 from which the blade extends.

The blade 16 is preferably formed of spring wire to have unequal arms 18 and 11 connected at a bend 20. A preferred form of blade has the arm 18 straight and the arm 19 convexly bowed away from its ends. A modification may have the arm 18 bowed toward the arm 19 but on a shallower curvature. In any case, the length of arm 19 is greater than that of the arm 18 by reason of the bowed form of the former.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show the described arms 18 and 19, whereas FIG. 6 shows that the bowed arm 1% may be formed to have a return bend 21 therein to provide the arm 1.90 with two convexly bowed parts 22 and 23. Of course, more than two such parts may be provided by forming two or more return bends 21. Also, the serpentine arm 1% thus provided may, in part, overlap the straight arm 18. In this modification, the arm 1% is longer than the straight arm 18.

The bend 20 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 7) is preferably formed as a loop that crosses at 24 and from which the arms 18 and 19 extend. FIG. 3 shows a modification in which the bend 20a is a simple bend without cross-over; FIG. 4 is a modification in which the bend 20b is formed with a one and one-half turn as are the ends of safety pins; and PEG. 5 is a modification in which arms 18 and 19 are formed of separate wires that are spot-welded together at 20c and covered by a non-metallic bead Z5. Said bead may be formed by dipping the end Zllc and the same obviates sharp edges or corners.

Regardless how the bend that connects the arms 18 and 19 is formed, the same may easily penetrate a tress-wound curler, as shown in FIG. 1, with the arms extending in a direction toward the handle 17.

The handle 17 may vary in form and size and the same is advantageously formed of a polystyrene plastic member that has a cavity 26 into which the free ends of arms 18 and 19 are inserted and retained, substantially as shown.

The handle 17 that is shown in FIG. 7 may vary from the single element of the other forms and may comprise two beads 27 and 28. Bead 27 has a bore that receives the inbent ends 29 of the arms 18 and 19, and the head 28 has a similar bore through which said arms extend. The latter bead has the purpose of a collar that is frictionally located on the blade 16 intermediate the length of the arms thereof to so bias said ends 29 as to surely retain connection with the bead 27.

It will be clear that during application of the present lock pinto a hair curler that the same retains its normal straight form, as shown. However, the same will flex or deflect, as indicated by the dot-dash lines of FIG. 2 if the end Zil or a modification thereof encounters an obstruction. Thus, instead of impinging sharply on the head or scalp, the end 20 will deflect; thereby affording a safety feature much to be desired.

A start in the direction of deflection may result from initially bending the end 20d, as in FIG. 6. Thus, even if the wire of which arms 18 and 19 are made is of lesser J flexibility, the offset of bend 20d Will tend to aid deflection to provide the desired safety above described.

The great efficiency of use of the present lock pin is thought to be clear from the foregoing and the same greatly facilitates hair-curling operations irrespective of use in the home or by professionals.

While the foregoing specification illustrates and describes what I now contemplate to be the best modes of carrying out my invention, the constructions are, of course, subject to modification Without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Therefore, I do not desire to restrict the invention to the particular forms of construction illustrated and described, but desire to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination of a foraminous, hollow roller and a locking device inserted in the roller after hair is wound on the roller, the locking device comprising two spring wire arms, one longer than the other, ends of the two arms being permanently connected to each other outside the roller, the shorter arm being bowed in the same direction as the longer arm when the locking device is flexed upon contact with the scalp, whereby to retain the device in the locking position in the tress-wound roller.

2. The combination of a forarninous, hollow roller and a locking device inserted in the roller after hair is wound upon the roller, the locking device comprising two spring wire arms, one longer than the other, with at least one of them bowed between its ends, the ends of the arms being permanently joined by a continuously curved loop of wire that is inserted through the tress-wound roller,

to facilitate such insertion and to permit the loop to contact the scalp and flex both arms to avoid hurting the scalp.

3. The combination according to claim 2, in which a handle receives the ends of the locking device opposite the said inserting end, for easy manipulation.

4. The combination of a foraminous, hollow roller and a locking device inserted in the roller after hair is wound upon the roller, the locking device comprising two spring wire arms, one longer than the other, the shorter arm being generally straight when the locking device is not under tension and being bowed the same direction as, but to a lesser degree than, the longer arm when the locking pin is flexed upon contact of an end thereof with the scalp.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 753,416 Martin Mar. 1, 1904 839,791 Summa Dec. 25, 1906 1,451,397 Kucewicz Apr. 10, 1923 1,492,398 Ross Apr. 29, 1934 2,449,845 Ghisletta Sept. 21, 1948 2,613,680 Rapisanda Oct. 14, 1952 2,630,127 Isbell Mar. 3, 1953 2,747,584 Polykranas May 29, 1956 2,865,381 Stohr Dec. 23, 1958 2,875,770 Isbell Mar. 3, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 3,108 Great Britain Feb. 21, 1889 16,622 Great Britain Aug. 6, 1908 232,139 Germany Mar. 8, 1911 

